Anthony pulbrook



(No Model.) A.PULBROOK. EMOTIONAL SUEPAGE FOR CYCLE WHEELS, &0.

No. 544,688. Patgnted Aug. 20, 1895.

PATENT Felon.

ANTHONY PULBROOK, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

FRICTIONAL SURFACE FOJRCYCLE-WH EELS, 84c.

sPEcIFIcA'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,688, dated August20, 1995.

Application filed June 19, 1394.

.To all whom it may concern: 7 I

Be it known that I, ANTHONY PULBR OOK, solicitor, a subject of the Queenof Great Britain, residing at 14 Victoria House, South Lambeth Road,London, in the county of Surrey, England, have invented certain new orimproved means and material for obtaining grip or adhesion incycle-wheels, machinery belting, boot and shoe soles, and other caseswhere a good grip or adhesion or freedom from slip is required, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to the utilization of the rough skin of fishesfor the purpose of supplying a suitable rough surface in any case whereit is desired to secure a good grip or adhesion or to prevent slipbetween-two surfaces-as, for example, in cycle and other vehicle wheelsto prevent slipping of the driving-wheels on the ground, in machinerybelt ing to prevent slipping between the drivingbelts and their pulleys,in the soles of cricketing, lawn-tennis, running, and other descriptionsof boots and shoes, and in the treadles of cycles, sewing machines, 85c.

I prefer to use that kind of fish-skin where true scales are absent andare replaced by the ossified papillae of the cutis-such as the .skins ofsharks, balistidae, spotted do -fish,

and such like; also of fishes having what has been termed placoidscales, as rays and such like. These skins may be employed in their rawstate or dried, tanned, tawed, or otherwise suitably treated, and theymay be used either alone or in combination with other fishskin, ordinaryleather, india-rubber, canvas, or any kind of textile fabric or flexiblematerial, and in one or more layers sewed, cemented, solutioned, orotherwise fixed to such material and to each other.

I sometimes coat the rough side of the fishskin with india-rubbersolution, made very thin. This I put on in layers, permitting each layerto dry before applying the next. Each successive layer finds its ownlevel on the top of the preceding layer, and combined they surround andform a support for the papillae or spines which project outside thelayers of solution, and the fish-skin is thereby strengthened to resistwear and tear and moisture, and the papillae are preserved firm, beingfiattened by use. I preferably dust at little Serial N... 515,081. (Nomodel.)

French chalk, flowers of sulphur, or other fine material having similarcharacteristics, over the top ofthe last layer of solution whenthoroughly dry. Instead of india-rubber solution a solution ofgutta-percha or of balatamay be used.

WVhen employing balata for coating the rough side of the fish-skin, Iprefer to do so in the following manner: I first soak the skin fortwenty-four hours in a solution composed of one ounce of borax in onequart of water. I then thoroughly cleanse it in clean distilled water,dry it in the dark, and keep it free from moisture. I then coat iton'the rough side in a dry roomwith a solution of balata made of onepart of balata to two partsof chloroform,

or of one part of balata to three parts of bisulphide of carbon, or ofone part of bala ta to seven parts of mineral naphtha. -I do not bindmyself to this manner of.treating the skins or to the exact proportionsabove given of balata to chloroform, bisulphide ofcarbon, or mineralnaphtha, as the proportions may be varied somewhat; but I have obtainedsatisfactory results with the means of treatment and the proportionsgiven.

In the accompanying drawings I havev shown various applications of thefish-skin above described for the purposes of preventing slipping orobtaining a grip.

In the drawings,'Figure 1 shows part of a driving-belt A with roughfish-skin B cemented or sewed to the under side thereofthat is to say,to the side which comes next the pulley it is intended to drive. Fig. 2shows a pulley O, the periphery of which is covered with rough skin D,the spines or ossified papillae being placed outward. Fig. 3 is an endview, and Fig. 4 a partial side view,

of a cycle-wheel with strips E E E of rough vent slipping bothcircumferentially and laterally. Fig. 6 shows part of the rim and tireof a cycle-wheel wit-l1 separate strips G of rough fish-skin securedtransversely round the same, and Fig. 7 shows part of the rim and tireof a cycle-wheel with a strip H of rough fish-skin wound helically roundthe same for the purpose of preventing slipping.

In applying this fish-skin material to the tire of a cycle-wheel, forexample, I cement with india-rubber solution or other suitable adhesivematerial one or more strips of it longitudinally round the outer treadof the tire, so that the sharp points of the ossified papillte bite intothe road orrtrack as the wheel revolves and prevent slipping and therebyloss of power, or the material may be cemented, sewed, or otherwiseattached to leather, canvas, webbing,silk, or other suitable substance,which may be fastened by cement, buckles, hooks, laces, or otherwise tothe tire or to the outer cover thereof. These arrangements prevent theslip of the wheel circumferentially. In order to prevent slipping orskiddingsidewise strips or pieces of the fish-skin may be attached tothe tire so that their ossified papillte point outward-that is to say,in the direction in which slipping or skidding might take place.Sometimes I wind the skin, or the skin and the substance to which it isattached, obliquely or otherwise, aroun d the tire and rim of the wheel,taking care to place the ossified papillae so that they point as nearlyas possible in the best direction to perform their function ofpreventing slipping.

In order to attach the fish-skin to the india-rubber or other materialby indiaa'ubber solution or cement, I find it advantageous to rub theinside surface of the skin with sandpaper, emery-paper, or pumice-stonebefore putting the solution on it.

In applying this fish-skin material to driving-belts for machinery itmay be sewed or cemented thereto with the rough side next the pulley,and in some cases the pulley itself may be covered with such skin, therough side being outside toward the belt.

In applying this fish-skin material to other objects it may be used inany way best suited for the particular purpose in view, care being takento place the ossified papillae so that their points face in thedirection best suited to produce the required grip or adhesion.

I claim 1. In combination with afriction surface, a fish skin coveringapplied to such surface, with the scales outward for thepurpose ofpreventing slipping, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a driving surface, a fish skin covering appliedthereto, with the scales outward, said scales having a strengthening orprotecting covering, substantially as described.

3. The process of coating the scaly side of fish skins for frictionpurposes, consisting in first soaking the skin in a solution of borax,then cleansing and drying the same, and finally coating it with asolution of gutta percha or the like substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

ANTHONY PULBROOK. Witnesses:

WILLIAM HENRY BECK, STEPHEN EDWARD GUnYoN.

